


Father and Son, Together Again

by hella_gent



Series: Father and Son, Together Again [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Neglect, Gen, Kid Fic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, but only for a lil bit, inaccurate depictions of real estate, parenting, updates every other sunday
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 19:55:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12824922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hella_gent/pseuds/hella_gent
Summary: Much had changed in Ninjago since Lord Garmadon was banished to the Underworld. He had by no means expected it to be the same after 7 or so years, but he certainly hadn’t expected to find his son alone, living off the streets. With his wife missing and his brother out of the question, Garmadon must put his plans of world devastation and recreation on hold to be the father Lloyd needs and deserves.





	1. [cover]

made a cover finally!


	2. you think i wouldnt plan on your betrayal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new chapters new chapters new chapters

_Trapped within darkness for years upon years. The light from Samukai’s wasted form is blinding. He takes his first step into freedom._

_And falls._

_The fight with his brother had left him with nothing. Just like his soldiers, Lord Garmadon had wasted away to nothing more than skin and bones, rotting in the depths of the Underworld. Returning to Ninjago was no different._

_He has no strength to move from the ashy floor of the Fire Temple. His helmet clatters and clangs as the oversized thing falls across the ground._

_There is silence, cut through like a knife by his first real breath of air. It burns his mouth with its heat, singes the back of his throat, makes his chest ache as it expands, but he is_ breathing. _He is_ alive.

 _The ninja, mere children, gawk at the heap of bones that have fallen between them and their fancy new toys. Kai, the spitfire that had caught his eye so long ago -_ bright like a flame, it could have been so easy to use his spark for more than simply retrieving a sword! A warrior spirit, just waiting to be unlocked - _is reaching for his sword now._

_But they are his toys now._

_Garmadon uses the air in his lungs to laugh, to laugh and laugh and laugh. His form shifts, muscles swelling into being, bones breaking and realigning. The laughter becomes hysterical, the fresh blood that begins to flood his veins giving the Dark Lord a new energy. And Garmadon is beside himself for it._ He is alive again.

 _He stands, steady, rising high above the ninjas heads. Garmadon clenches his fists, but the motion feels different somehow,_ greater _than before._

_Samukai’s hands crack and snap as they bend, adjusting to where they now sit on his hips._

_Oh, that’s right. Samukai had so kindly given himself over to his King of Shadows._

_He must have been a powerful man when he was still flesh and blood._

_His momentary inattention has not gone unnoticed. While the rest of the ninja have finally come forward to collect their weapons, Kai has raised his sword. They meet eyes and he strikes._

_The blade falls heavily into his palm, but he doesn’t feel the skin break, not so much as a scratch._

_Garmadon grins wickedly, baring his new fangs._

_Oh, won’t this be fun?_


	3. bump in the night, save my life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i missed last weeks update but i posted about this fic on tumblr so does that count as an update?

Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, son of the evil Dark Lord Garmadon and future dark ruler, could not tie his shoes. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how - only babies didn’t know how to tie their shoes - he just couldn’t reach.

There was nothing quite like dangling from a shop roof top corner to make you realize both your shoes were untied.

Lloyd felt his chest well up, but he took a deep shaky breath and shook his head. He wouldn’t cry, he couldn't cry. Evil overlords didn’t cry and they didn't get hung up over their failures. They got even.

And he would get even. Not any time soon, but the ninja would regret this. They would come to regret ruining his plans, getting him pelted with vegetables and garbage. They would regret hanging him high over the candy he had been starving for and leaving him there  _ all day long. _

Tears were running down his cheeks. Lloyd whined and scrubbed at his face. Villains. Did not. Cry.

The sun had been sinking below the horizon and was barely visible any more. The streets of Jamanakai became darker and darker, until the only light that could be seen were from the different shops. One by one, they each went out, until all that was left was the one Lloyd was attached to. He watched as the man bagged his candy and came out again to drag the table inside.

Lloyd sniffed hard. He didn’t even look up at him.

The store closed, the lights went out, and the child was left in darkness.

This had to be the worst day of his life.

He would start over, find a different village to get candy from. He would come up with a new plan and show those jerks at the academy they were wrong to kick him out. He was Lloyd Garmadon! The son of the Dark Lord! They would pay dearly for what they did to him!

Except…

How was he supposed to get down? At this height, if he even managed to get loose, jumping down was sure to hurt. Why didn’t the ninja get him down? Weren’t they supposed to be the good guys? If not the ninja, who else would have even an inclination in helping him down? Not the villagers, that much was obvious.

It hit him like a bullet train to the chest. Nobody, nobody would help him. He was alone and would just have to accept that. Nobody actually cared about what happened to him anyway.

The dam burst. Lloyd let his head fall and sobbed. He would never get back into the academy, back  _ home.  _

Something tapped against the bottom of his shoe and Lloyd jumped, his eyes snapping open.

Red. Spots of red below him, all in pairs - 

Lloyd shrank into his sweatshirt, pulling his legs up.

It was too dark to see anything, but he heard someone whisper something in a not-so-happy tone, and the following noise of someone being hit. It must have been with something metal - he recognized the metallic clang of a sword, like Kai’s. The resulting “Ouch! Hey!” sounded too loud in the sleeping village, and especially to ears that had heard nothing but quiet, idle chatter below.

There was another pair of angry red eyes at the end of street, the sound of their approach sending the ones below him scurrying away. Lloyd could take a hint; he struggled to follow their lead, squirming, trying to make himself fall free. All he could see were those angry red eyes, moving closer and closer. The boy yelped, trying to curl up in his sweatshirt and covering his eyes.

He heard a clamor below, a low, frustrated growl and the tin rattle of a garbage can. Lloyd braved a peek through his hands, in spite of the fear.

Though his eyes had long since been adjusted to the dark, he couldn’t make out who or what was in front of him. His eyes desperately darted across the space before him, trying to make it out, but every time a shape formed it just blended back into the shadows.

In hindsight, he should have realized they were helping him down. Lloyd couldn’t help it - feeling hands around his middle, he shrieked.

All hell broke loose. 

“Shut him up!” 

“Too loud!”

Feet scraped on the ground as the others ran off in all different directions, lights beginning to flicker on around them. People were hurrying outside to see what was wrong, why was he screaming like that? Did he have any idea what time it was? He thought he heard someone call for the ninja.

Lloyd hasn't stopped screaming, so he really can't make it out. His eyes are clamped shut as he kicks and throws punches with whatever energy he has left. Granted, they probably didn't do any sort of damage, but he was tired and hungry and not going down without a fight. He felt the grip around him tighten and Lloyd was lifted, his hood coming free and falling flat against his back.

Then Lloyd heard a voice. The same low tone that had been growling before.

“Shh, Lloyd,” he softly says, and the boy feels his feet touch the ground, a hand moving to his shoulder. “you're safe now.”

Lloyd can feel himself slowing. The next fist he throws is easily caught, then the other hand taken. The others grip is soft, gentle, keeping him from trying to lash out again.

He squints one eye open, then both blow wide in surprise.

Lloyd doesn’t remember what he looked like, or when the last time it was that he even did, but it was him, he knows, he knows it, its-

“Dad!”

A hand brushes through his hair, coming to cup his cheek to brush away the tears. His father is crying now too.

“It’s okay now, Lloyd,” he says, “Everything is okay-”

Lloyd rushed forward into his arms. Garmadon held his son tight against him, curling over him.

There was no way to stop the tears at this point.

The skeletons return to their master to see his great form heave and shudder with hushed sobs, struggling not to cry loud enough to upset his son. The streets have become silent.

“I thought- I thought I'd never see you again.”

Garmadon goes to pull back, to wipe his son’s tears again and check him over to be sure he isn't hurt from whatever sick prank has been played on him; but at the slightest pull Lloyd clutches him tighter and burrows deeper into his arms.

No, he’ll do it later. There was time for that later.

Lloyd wasn’t going anywhere any time soon.


	4. nowhere left to go but in my arms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeeyeah i think ill be sticking to this every other week schedule. last week i was just too mentally tired from the SAT, and ive got exams coming up soon. like to keep it light so that i can at least keep some sort of schedule like i originally planned!!

Hearing that Lord Garmadon had really been spotted was the only thing that stopped the four ninjas from training in the dark really. But by that point they were exhausted, so it was decided that they would simply do recon and make sure no one was in danger.

When they arrived at the little grocery store the alarm was still going off. The kid behind the counter was too scared to give any helpful information besides a direction, but at least from there they were able to pick up tire tracks.

Garmadon’s camp was a bit of let down, all things considered. He went from the impressive fort built in the pits of the Underworld, to a ring of vehicles around a tent. It was pathetic. The army must have been jumping from place to place to avoid them. The tent was clearly for Garmadon, seeing as it was well kept and none of the Skulkin dared draw too close. They stayed to themselves, milling around small fires on the opposite sides of their vehicles creating a wall around the tent in the center.

“Look there he is!”

Kai perked up, searching for the Dark Lord in the fire light. Lord Garmadon had received an upgrade since their last meeting, wearing thick armor plates across his chest and shoulders. He was carefully being helped down from his skull truck on the opposite side of camp, revealing strong steel heals, but his eyes were drawn to a dark something draped over one shoulder. It could be something from the store Garmadon had just robbed, but the skeletons were the ones carrying those distinct, white grocery bags.

The four ninjas moved closer as the Dark Lord disappeared into the tent, but not before they caught a glimpse of messy blonde hair.

“Is that-?”

“That would explain why he has only now revealed himself, as well as only stealing food items,” Zane surmised, turning to his brothers, “He must have taken Lloyd in.”

Kai narrowed his eyes.

“But why didn’t he just take him back to the Academy?”

“Perhaps he-”

“You guys are missing the big picture here!” Jay hissed, struggling to keep his voice down as he scoot back from the camp. Only now did the fire ninja realize how panicked he looked. “If Garmadon has Lloyd, then he must know what we did to him! What  _ we  _ did to  _ his son. _ ”

The ninjas pulled out their weapons.

“If he finds us we’re toast!” 

Kai clenched his fist around the Sword of Fire, already feeling the familiar burn of it against his palm. “And we’re too tired to do our Spinjitzu.”

Just then the tent flap opened again, Garmadon sticking his head out to glare at the Skulkin. They were at immediate attention. If someone had just killed their strongest and absorbed his essence to gain power and a pair of arms, Kai figured he would be scared too. The ninjas stayed where they were, not even daring to move.

“Secure the perimeter!” He barked, already sending them running, “Double the patrols! The ninja won’t let us rest now that I’ve shown my face. We’re packing up in the morning, it's only a matter of time until they catch up.”

At that moment the Dark Lord snapped his attention to the bushes, right where the ninja sat. It took everything not to flinch. Kai held his stare even as stepped outside entirely, waving a hand absently at his soldiers. His eyes narrowed and he turned back into the tent.

Inside, laying eyes on his son, Garmadon felt his anger fade. Lloyd was just as he had left him, laying on his side on his cot. Tear tracks stained his cheeks, the skin there lighter for the lack of dirt. His father knelt by his side.

He really did not want to wake him. Lloyd, after helping him pick out food, had passed out still sitting in the shopping cart at the store. The child had hardly stirred during the rough ride in the truck back to camp. He must have been exhausted. Right now though, Lloyd needed to eat and they needed to talk.

Garmadon brushed his fingers through his hair, softly stirring him awake. Lloyd couldn’t seem to bring himself to open his eyes, scrubbing his tiny fists over them as he sat up. 

“Are we home now?” he whined, voice thick with sleep as he squinted up at him. Garmadon chuckled and sat down on the ground beside the cot.

“For the night at least” he said softly. “I need you to wake up so you can eat something, kiddo. Or did you have dinner before all of that?”

Lloyd shook his head, eagerly accepting the lunchables he had chosen. Some weak form of nachos. They were cheap and Lloyd claimed to love them, so he wouldn’t judge them too harshly. The boy peeled back the plastic, took a chip, and scooped out all the salsa in one bite.

“Lloyd, do you know your mother’s address? I can take you there as soon as you finish eating.”

His son froze, stopping halfway through stuffing another overloaded chip in his mouth. He stared. He swallowed then slowly shook his head.

Garmadon tried a different approach.

“That's okay. Do you know her phone number then? I can find a way to call her and I'll have you back home, safe and sound, within the hour.”

But Lloyd’s eyes had narrowed. He looked confused, staring at his father like he had three heads.

“What is it?” His father asked.

“I don't live with her.” Lloyd stated. Setting the little plastic plate into his lap as he stared up at his father.  _ Why would I live with her? _ his gaze seemed to say, as if it were the most absurd thing in the world. Garmadon looked away, brow knit.

“But then… where is she?”

“Not with me, that’s for sure.” Lloyd shrugged, unbothered. He finished the tiny meal and went for the desert, eating the kitkat in a single bite. He didn't seem to care about his lack of a guardian like his father did. 

Garmadon had left his wife and newborn son behind years ago to pursue the golden weapons. Misako had seemed to deem it inevitable, and had not tried to stop him, though he could remember, clear as day, the pain in her eyes as she held their son close. Trapped in the Underworld, Garmadon had no way to contact them. Nevertheless, he expected a happy life for his family without him. Misako could easily continue her work and Lloyd would perhaps grow up to be an inquisitive child like his mother, helping her explore dig sites and discovering ancient artifacts alongside her. 

The idea had been a great comfort during the first lonely years in the desolate bowels of the Underworld, but had turned bitter and sour when he thought of how he was torn apart from that perfect picture. It was clear now he was wrong to assume things would fall into place without him, and for once he was glad to be wrong.

The sudden thought that passed his mind infuriated him to no end, but it was all he could think of keeping his son safe without his mother.

“Were you staying with my brother, Lloyd? Has Uncle Wu been watching you?”

By the look of disgust on his son’s face, he need not be worried. Lloyd snarled and stuck out his tongue. 

“No way I hate him. Him and his stupid ninjas always get in my way. I’d never wanna hang out with that guy.”

Garmadon murmured a “good” before he could stop himself, but it only made Lloyd laugh.

Garmadon got up from the floor and brushed the dirt off his armor. With no way to contact his mother and staying with Wu clearly off the table - _ probably wasn't even near the table - _ he knew what he had to do.

“Let me go find some blankets, Lloyd, I’m sure you're still very tired. If you're still hungry though, just let me know.”

“Wait - I get to stay?”

Garmadon paused and turned back to his son. Lloyd was at the edge of the bed, nearly tipped off with a huge, excited grin on his face.

“Of course, where else would you-?”

Lloyd jumped down and rushed to his father, slamming into his leg with a hug so hard the Dark Lord staggered. After a moment he felt his father’s hand on his head.

This had to be the greatest day of his life.


	5. you cannot rush these things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey sorry for the radio silence here. my mental health like, took a nose dive so i took a step back from nearly all of my projects. good news tho is that the next chapter is almost ready!

The thought came to him, slowly, that he was asleep. It was just barely enough to shake him loose from his dream, but there he lay, buried under a layer of blankets. He was still wearing his academy jeans, as well as his sweatshirt. The others must have taken his pajamas last night.

Lloyd rolled unto his stomach, too comfortable to care. He hadn’t noticed the low murmur across the room until it was gone.

He tensed, lying still, waiting for it to pick up again.

“I need to spend some time with son today, alone.”

His eyes snapped open again. He had been turned out, and then the ninja, and the villagers-

_He was in his father’s camp._

“We have a lot to talk about,” his father was saying, “I’ve already found a nice family pizzaria about a mile from where the rest of you will be. I’ll brief everyone together before we set out; we still need to take down camp.” There were retreating, clattering steps and he heard a chair shift.

The child peeked his eyes over the pillow he had buried his face into.

His father was cleaning up a desk by the entrance of a tent, his arms quickly filling with papers. A few blank pages were left on its surface, and after a moment he had found a pen to place alongside them. Behind him stood two Skulkin, but Lloyd didn’t recognize them from those in his father’s army. They wore actual clothes, for one thing, brightly colored to match the bright colors that had been painted across their faces. One had a bit of fabric wrapped around their skull like a shawl.

Lloyd was still staring at them when he realized he’d been spotted.

“Awake, son?” Garmadon asked, moving to kneel beside the bed. He gave his shoulder a gentle shake. “Did you sleep alright? How do you feel?”

The boy sat up and nodded, scrubbing his eyes in what he hoped looked like believable drowsiness.

“I’m fine,” he replied, adding a yawn for good measure. Garmadon laughed, ruffling his hair as he got to his feet again.

“Great! Well, first thing is first-” He turned to the Skulkin behind him, first the one with the shawl, then the other, “This is Fracture and Feemur. They’re going to help you this morning.”

“You’re leaving?”

At the sight of the boy's face, Garmadon was to quick to reassure him. “No, no! I’m just going to organize the troops while they pack up camp; they’d lose their heads without me to keep ‘em on their shoulders.” The Dark Lord chuckled at his little joke, making his son crack a smile too.

“I’ve got a very important job for you here in the tent. Can you write?”

Lloyd hesitated. He raised a hand, before awkwardly tipping it from side to side. Garmadon just smiled at him, guiding his son up off the bed and over to the desk.

“That’s alright! I want you to make a list of some of your favorite meals. You don’t have to spell it perfectly, or even at all if you don’t want to; pictures will work just fine too. Just do your best, kiddo.”

He still didn’t look sure, but his dad was still smiling at him as he left, so Lloyd guessed he was gonna try. Darkley’s wasn't the place to learn how to read or write, as it was generally encouraged to get bad grades. Unless you were trying to become an evil genius. Lloyd often was stuck in the same class as one, Gene, and that nerd was enough to convince him he wasn’t going to be an evil genius.

Now though, he was starting to wish he had payed more attention.

The blonde picked a pen offered by the Skulkin and stared down at the page, then glared down at the page. He didn’t know what to put besides school food, so he tried to imagine what a father would cook for his family.

Dads liked to grill things right?

Lloyd tried to write for a solid 3 seconds before he switched to simply scribbling pictures. It was hard to tell what was what just drawing with one color, but he hoped everything looked alright enough. He offered his page of hotdogs, hamburgers, and steak to the Skulkin, but they didn’t seem to know what they were looking at. Though that might be because they were dead, and not because they couldn’t make out his drawings.

Maybe he would try writing again, just in case?

The boy had worked through HOTDOG and was working on HAMBERG when his father returned, the tent flap violently thrust aside as he stomped in. Garmadon looked furious, rubbing his temples and muttering to himself with a bitter scowl. Feemur and Fracture were quick to rise and stand at attention, and their movement seemed to remind him of his son.

Lloyd gave his page one last unsure look, then wordlessly offered it to his father. It took a moment, but when he felt a pull on the paper he let it go.

_First his skeletons were annoying him and now his son, he was sure to-_

Garmadon knelt beside his son, looking over the page, then back up at Lloyd again. He kept his eyes down at his feet, twiddling with the strings of his sweatshirt. His father looked back at his list with a smile, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close.

“This is a great start, Lloyd!”

Lloyd looked up at him, wide eyed.

“Really?”

Garmadon laughed and gave him a squeeze. “Really!”

His father picked him up entirely, taking him over to the desk. He flipped the page over and quickly added a few things of his own, then handed it off to Feemur, sending the two Skulkin running off together.

“Now,” Garmadon said, grinning, “How about pizza?”

 

/-/-/-/-/

 

The streets were calm and quiet, though deserted would be a better description given what was happening on the other side of town. They were only going for pizza, somewhere small, yet Garmadon had worn his heavy armor and brought all four of his katana, just to be safe. There was no telling who they may run into. The ninja would be no problem, but in the city proper things got a bit more complicated. He didn’t want to have a run in with anyone while he was with Lloyd; the more violence he could keep Lloyd away from the better.

Neither spoke, but neither tried to. It had been years since Garmadon had seen the city himself. Buildings had popped up like daisies and there was a lot to look at. Looking down to his son though, he seemed disinterested. He stuck close to his father’s side and spent more time looking at his four arms than he did the array of shops they passed.

“Have you been this way before, son?” He asked suddenly.

“Yeah,” Lloyd shrugged, “A few times.”

He didn’t elaborate and his father didn’t push him to. They would do plenty of talking at lunch.

“Then maybe you’ve been where we’re going.” He said simply.

They were coming up on it now. It was small and rather nondescript, but that was just what he had wanted. A place with as few people as possible, though just looking through the window he could see he was wrong on that account. Must be because of his Skulkin. Or maybe it was just the lunch rush.

Garmadon crouched, leveling a smile at his son. “I’ll go in first, alright? Just to be sure no one tries any funny business.”

Lloyd gripped his pant leg and nodded. His father drew his katana with his upper hands and swung open the door.

The Pizzeria was decently full, given the time of day and the state of the opposite side of town. So, when the Dark Lord entered with sword drawn in full battle armor, it became decently _loud._

He had heard worse, and used the moment of surprise to survey the scene; a few small families sat at tables, as well as a group of teens in the far corner. There were two workers behind the counter. No one moved to call the ninja, or even the police it seemed, so he moved to put his weapons away. Garmadon startled halfway through the action when another voice joined the crowd.

It was _Lloyd,_ covering his ears and burying his face in his hip.

Garmadon hurried to tuck the weapons away and scoop up his son. He stomped his foot, making the ground shake as he gave a sharp bark of “ _Silence!_ ”

The Pizzeria obeyed and the room fell silent, save for a woman’s hiccuping breaths as she tried to smother her sobs. Garmadon rolled his eyes, shifting to hold Lloyd away from her hysterics.

“You knock that off!” He snapped, moving towards the counter, “I haven’t even done anything yet!”

The employees were in a similar state, but he was glad to see at least one of them knew how to hold themselves together enough to take their order. The child still shook like a leaf, and he could faintly hear their teeth chattering, but they didn’t mess anything up so he really didn't care.

Father and Son picked a booth, each settling down with a slice of hawaiian pizza. Pineapple on pizza was every villain's favorite, of course.

As an infant, Garmadon didn't know who his son was. He had been a blank slate, as all newborns were. All that would separate him from others aside from appearance was how he could kiss his tiny toes, and Lloyd would squeal with laughter.

As he was now, Garmadon had no idea who his son was. He had missed his early life, had missed seeing the boy the little babe had become. What sorts of things did he enjoy?

Well, no better way to find out than to simply ask.

“I’ve been gone for so long,” His father began, resting against the table, “I’ve… I’ve missed everything. But I’m here with you now and you can _tell_ me everything.”

Lloyd stopped mid bite, watching him.

“What sort of things do you like? Where were you staying all this time? Do you know anything about your mother? Or what about training; have you had any training?”

With each passing question Lloyd shrank farther back into his seat, his heart pounding. He couldn't tell his father he didn't remember his mother’s work, or even her face. He couldn't tell his father about Darkley’s or how horribly he had failed as a villain to be turned out, despite staying as long as he could remember. He couldn’t tell his father anything; there was no way to tell how he would react - !

“Lloyd, hey,” Garmadon made his son look up at him from his suddenly very interesting fingernails. He smiled, warm and kind, reaching across the table to take his hand. “This isn’t a sort of… interrogation, sweetheart. If you aren’t comfortable telling me, that’s okay, I understand. I won’t make you.”

“That’s not to say we won’t ever.” His father continued, “We will have to talk about things _eventually,_ But later, when you’re ready.”

Lloyd blinked.

Oh. That was… He was…

Lloyd still didn’t speak, so Garmadon took it as his cue to move on.

“Do you not like the crust, son?”

“No,” his son replied softly. “Do you want it?”

“Sure.” And the warlord crunched on it while he watched his son go back up to the counter for another slice.

A noise drew his attention in front of him again, to a family sitting in the booth connected to theirs. Garmadon had hardly noticed them all huddled together like they were. The food was gone, but they dared not move. Father tried to comfort mother, who was pressing fervent kisses all over her infant’s head. Another child, a little girl, stood on the booth close to her father. Garmadon couldn't keep from staring at her.

She looked just a bit younger than Lloyd did, but she stood out as entirely unafraid, leaning over her father's shoulder to stare just as intently at him as he was at her. Her hair hung over her face in a dark, frizzled mess, but when she pushed it away her face was clean. Her clothes looked clean as well, looking fairly new.

The thought struck him as odd until Garmadon turned back to Lloyd. The boy's face was covered in dirt, a bruise turning green on his forehead with an angry red scratch on the tip of one round cheek. His sweatshirt, which had looked beyond cute in its childish likeness to him, now struck the Dark Lord as being nearly two sizes too large.

Lloyd slid into the booth beside him this time, but did not move to eat. Instead he picked at the table, eyes darting between his lap and his father.

Was he… nervous-?

_He was going to tell him something, something important._

“I, um…” Lloyd's voice was so soft Garmadon had to move closer to hear. It looked like he didn't want to continue, but he had already started and was trying to make himself finish. “I haven't really been staying anywhere. I was just… walking.”

Garmadon said nothing at first. He didn't know what he _could_ say. He only hoped his momentary silence wouldn't speak for him and the horrible feeling that was overtaking him. But he had to say _something_.

Garmadon ran a hand through his son's hair while another settled on his shoulder.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Lloyd looked up at him then, a tear stealing down his cheek his father was quick to wipe away.

“Why don't we blow this popsicle stand?”

Lloyd unsuccessfully smothered a laugh as his father scooped him up and out of the booth.

A strange feeling settle over the Dark Lord at that moment. Holding his son close, his eyes drifted over the pizzeria again, over the still frightened works, the frozen patrons, the terrified parents and their tiny children; and he felt the oddest remorse that he had no money to spare for a tip.

Garmadon instead redirected his attention to the food, taking a few napkins and wrapping up Lloyd’s uneaten slice of pizza.

“Once we get back to camp I’ll use my katana and we can split it.”

Lloyd’s eyes lit up.

“Cool! Do I get a sword too?”

Garmadon grinned.

“Of course not.”


	6. maybe a wrong can make a right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the first half of this chapter waaaaay back like......... months ago so there might be a slight change in writing style but this is a fun chapter I hope yall enjoy it

She heard the scream before she heard anything else. It was followed immediately by a chorus of more screams and shouts, pushing her up from her desk. There was a clatter throughout the hallway and when she went to open her door, there was already someone on the other side, holding it closed.

Skeletons. Skeletons had taken over the office. There was one on every door, keeping the agents all locked in their offices. There was no more screaming. She could pick up the muted yells of her co-workers from where they were trapped. Then a voice boomed just outside her door.

“Don’t let anyone escape! Not until we’re through!”

She bolted for her desk, throwing her chair aside and ducking under it. She could hear him still, speaking to the Skulkin trapping her inside.

“I don’t want to see the ninja anywhere near here, understand? First sign of them and we leave.”

If she could get to her phone, she could contact-

The door opened. Her breath caught in her throat. 

His boots thumped gently across the rug. She could tell exactly where they were when the steps became harder, coming off the soft material and onto the hardwood. Gunmetal grey heels appeared along the bottom edge of the desk, moving behind it to where she curled up. A burnt, black arm reached under and hauled her out into the open. 

She screamed.

“Stop that!” Lord Garmadon barked, setting her into her chair and pushing it closer to the desk. It was... oddly gentle. She would have expected to be hurt by this point. He moved to the opposite side of the desk and took a seat, and now she could see why.

A little boy sat beside him in the chair. His hands had been pressed over his ears, but now that things were quiet again he pulled them away and stared at her. He wore a big sweatshirt with splotches of paint on it, as well as plenty of dirt. In fact, all of this kid was dirty. 

When was the last time this boy had a shower?

Better question: why was a kid with Lord Garmadon?

Garmadon cleared his throat, pulling a little card that had been tucked into his armor and sliding it across the desk.

“Patty Keys, right? If I have the right office.”

Patty nodded dumbly, staring down at her own business card.

“I need a place to raise my son. He had heard that you were one of the best.”

She snapped her head back up, meeting eyes with the Dark Lord’s son.

“We get a discount if we bring the card, right?”

Garmadon laughed and mussed up his hair. 

Now that her mind was starting to clear of the shock, she could see she wasn’t in any immediate danger. Garmadon had no weapons, and though he wore armor, it was light. He probably didn’t have anything other than armor to begin with. He looked relaxed, a smile still on his face even after his son spoke.

Patty sat up straighter, pulling her chair closer to her desk.

“No, no you don’t. But I can assume money won’t be discussed?”

Garmadon waved his hand. “Money won’t be a problem.” He assured. She didn’t want to think too hard about that.

“Well, what were you looking for, Lord Garmadon?”

The Dark Lord opened his mouth to speak, but his son beat him to it.

“I want a treehouse!”

Garmadon turned to his son, eyes incredibly fond with a smile on his lips as he said gently. “Lloyd, I can build you a treehouse. We need to find a real house.”

  
“Can we get one with a pool?”

“No. Unless you want to be the one to deal with all those chemicals and keeping it clean in the fall?”

Lloyd slowly shook his head.

Patty could hardly believe her eyes. This had to be some sort of dream. Lord Garmadon, the man who wanted to conquer Ninjago just to destroy it and recreate it, couldn't  _ really _ be in her office right now. He couldn't be the man across from her, telling his son “no” so kindly it probably didn't even register as a negative to the boy.

Lord Garmadon was practically asking for all the houses she was never able to sell. They were looking for a house that was small, hidden away from the general public. Despite his plans to recreate Ninjago, they seemed to be moving towards a long drive to civilization. They were flying through this meeting.

“And what about school? Will you want to be close enough to one to enroll your son?” Patty asked.

Garmadon seemed to be really considering the best house for his son, and the prospect of giving him an education made him pause.

Lloyd, on the other hand, jumped up from his seat and slapped his hand against the desk.

“Of course not! I’m never going to school again! These past few days have been the best days of my life!” 

“No, no. No school.” Garmadon said, voice soft. His eyes looked distant. Kids often complained about school being the worst parts of their lives; Patty knew, she had 2. The Dark Lord didn’t seem to realize that, letting his son climb up into his lap.

“What about a small school?” Patty offered, pulling up files for houses as she spoke. “Schools in the outer villages are much different from those closer to Ninjago City. In some, schools are only for the children there and only last a few hours each day. Some don’t even have school every day they are so small.”

At length Garmadon asked in a quiet voice. “Maybe we can try a small school...?” He looked unsure, but it was all swept away in a smile when his son turned to him and pulled on his arm.

Patty Keys offered him a file.

“Try here. It’s remote, yet cozy. It’s already fully furnished-”

Lord Garmadon was on his feet in an instant, file already open and reading through it. After a moment he snapped it closed and tucked it under one arm.

He thrust a hand over the desk, making her flinch. But he did nothing, just held his hand out to her.

She hesitated, taking the hand offered.

Garmadon smiled, another hand covering theirs good naturedly as he shook her hand.

“Thank you for your help, Patty,” He said warmly, turning to offer his son one of his hands to hold, “If this works for us then, ah, I suppose I won't be by again to bother you.”

He looked down at the file, frowning.

“If not… hm. I would call, to save everyone from this mess again, but I don't have a phone. Oh well, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

And with that he left, leaving Patty staring after him. When the ninja rushed to her later, asking what had happened, was she okay? She nodded dumbly.

They would be at the house by now, she thought. Garmadon would be looking through the house with his son, getting him situated in what had once been a guest room. She wondered what he would do with the study. Though her mind supplied no few evil possibilities, something told her Garmadon wouldn't do any of them with a child in the house.

Lloyd would be happy there.

Patty forgot to offer him the key.

Garmadon set Lloyd down on the porch - a nice sized porch, a rocking chair or even a swinging bench would look good there - and frowned. It would be easy to kick the door in, but difficult to fix again. Perhaps a window then. He waved for his son to follow as he made his way around the house.

The window he settled on overlooked the backyard, which had gone from overgrown to melding into the woods around them, it seemed. 

“Alright, Lloyd, here's the plan; I’m going to get this window open and you get to go in and open the door. What do you think?”

Lloyd bounced on his toes and grinned brightly.

“Yeah, yeah!” 

“Here we go-!”

Garmadon put his upper hands on the top and his lower on the bottom, then carefully pushed the window up. He didn't want to use his full strength or the window would be unsalvageable, but if he used just a little extra-

The frame began to creak and groan, then Lloyd jumped back as the window cracked and shattered in quick succession. His dad snarled, brushing the little pieces of glass off as he reached inside and unlocked the window. His face softened as he turned to his son again. 

“Your shoes should be enough against any cuts, but don't drag your feet, kay son? We don't want glass all over the house.”

Lloyd nodded. His father lifted him through the window, carefully placing him on the floor of what looked like a study. The glass cracked and broke under his feet, but he lifted his knees high and marched out of the room.

Everything looked so… normal. This was  _ their _ house, but it just made him feel out of place. There was a shelf in the hallway, bare of books but topped with a bowl of pinecones and weird looking balls. After a moment he took one down and tossed it in his hands as he walked on.

The kitchen was connected to the living room, and none of it made the feeling go away. There were little fake flowers on the mantle and the kitchen archway had a hanging sign that read “Bless this Mess”. 

Lloyd scrunched up his nose.

There was a knock at the door. The boy scrambled to unlock it. But for some reason his dad was smiling when the door swung open.

He stepped through the threshold and grinned as he called out- “Honey! I’m home!”

Lloyd didn't understand it, but he didn't question it either.

Garmadon paused to take it all in. It really was a far cry from a tent in the dirt. Patty had been right. It felt like a cozy, family house. It felt like coming home.

He moved to the kitchen, placing their few things on the island. The little sign caught his eye and he turned to his son with a laugh.

“I’ve been blessed!”

Lloyd had tried to smother the feeling that had overtaken him, but his dad saw it as soon as he turned around.

“What is it, son?”

“Is this  _ really _ where we’re staying?”

Garmadon blinked. “You don’t like it? Where else would you want to stay?”

Lloyd hesitated, then shook his head the barest tilt.

“I… I wanna go back to camp.”

Garmadon moved around the counter and put a hand on his hip.

“If you really don’t like the house we can go back and look for another, Lloyd, but you aren't spending another night in that tent if I have anything to say about it”

His father got down on his knees then, a hand on his shoulder.

“Now, I won’t ask just how long you were… walking around.” Lloyd tensed, but Garmadon gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “But things will be better this way. We're a family now, father and son, together again. As all fathers do, I am going to try my best to do what is best for you. And this is a pretty big step towards that. It's a big change, so it may feel a bit off for a while. Do you feel that way, son?”

Garmadon met his son’s eyes and smiled as he slowly nodded.

“That's okay! Completely okay. It will pass as we get settled. But it looks like you might have questions for me.”

Lloyd ducked his head.

“If we don’t go back to camp, then what’ll happen to the skeletons?”

Garmadon blinked, surprised.

“You said they would lose their heads without you. What're they gonna do now?”

What  _ would _ they do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time with how Garm would address Lloyd over this but lmk how I did with that!!
> 
> also ive never bought a house so i dont know how houses are bought but lets just imagine you go into a big fancy office building to buy a house


End file.
